


as we drink the wild air

by Dontfloatthe100



Category: The Pinkertons (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Pirates, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:14:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29189883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dontfloatthe100/pseuds/Dontfloatthe100
Summary: Kate felt, among other things, royally pissed off as she sat in the back of the dingy old rowboat on the calm sea.She had been interrupted during a particularly lively game of chess in the gardens, had been kidnapped by four pirates, and been forced to board a barely seaworthy-looking boat with two rather unsavoury-looking men. Her rope bindings were beginning to chafe, she was sitting on about a dozen splinters, and the sun was in her eyes. Royally pissed was an understatement.
Relationships: William Pinkerton/Kate Warne
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	1. The Captain

**Author's Note:**

> Oh my god were back again. Brothers, sisters, everybody sing! But seriously holy shit I'm back babyyyy, just bought The Pinkertons on amazon prime and I knew I had to come back to this. I hope to add new chapters weekly. Idk if anyone will read this but I hope it brings someone a little comfort in these trying times. Stay safe and stay healthy.
> 
> Best,  
> Em

Kate felt, among other things, royally pissed off as she sat in the back of the dingy old rowboat on the calm sea.  
  
She had been interrupted during a particularly lively game of chess in the gardens, had been kidnapped by four pirates, and been forced to board a barely seaworthy-looking boat with two rather unsavoury-looking men. Her rope bindings were beginning to chafe, she was sitting on about a dozen splinters, and the sun was in her eyes. Royally pissed was an understatement.  
  
Kate was content to sit there feeling sorry for herself, but felt the need to at least try and spark up a conversation with her captors. If she was friendly, she thought, they might treat her with kindness when they made it to the large ship that she could see looming on the horizon. 

"So," she said, "who's ship am I being taken to?"  
  
One of the men, a handsome and stocky older man of African dissent, looked up from the oars he was rowing and regarded her with a suspicious eye.  
  
"You'll find out when you get to the ship," he said shortly and returned to his rowing.  
  
"Come on, we'll be there soon enough. Shouldn't I know how to address my captor?" Kate said  
  
"She has a point there, Scobell," the other man, who couldn't have been much older than Kate, said, nudging his companion.  
  
Scobell, as the man was called, did nothing but grunt and continue his rowing, effectively shutting down the conversation. The other man turned back to her and smiled, something like sympathy glinting in his teal eyes.  
  
"Sorry, Scobell's got seniority. You understand."  
  
"I see," she said, "And you are?"  
  
"Timothy Webster, at your service!" The man smiled, holding out a hand for her to shake. It took him a moment to remember that her hands were tied behind her back with coarse rope, and he gave a small apologetic smile.  
  
Kate was struck by how friendly he seemed. He greeted her as if they were meeting at a tea house or salon, not on a pirate's rowboat. Kate hoped that the rest of the crew would be as cordial, but she sincerely doubted it as they grew nearer to the ship, and she began to make out the faces that stared at her from over the taffrail.  
  
There were faces of all colours, ages, and states of cleanliness. Some stared directly at her, sizing her up. Others looked to the pirates in the boat that sailed alongside hers, waving at them or shouting down to their fellow crewmates. Kate was relieved to see a few female faces amongst the crowd as their boat was tied to the pulley system and hoisted up to the main deck.  
  
It wasn't until the rowboat was tied down firmly that Timothy reached over and cut her rope bindings. Kate immediately rubbed at her wrists, noting the blistering sores that circled them like bracelets against her pale skin.  
  
Kate gathered her skirts and stood shakely. The boat rocked in mid-air and Kate felt her balance shift, sending her tumbling over the side of the boat nearest to the ship. She would have hit the deck with considerable force if it hadn't been for a pair of arms catching her fall. Kate heard the laughter of the crew as she steadied herself, gripping the arms that caught her and suddenly noticing the black ink that sprawled over the heavily scarred skin of her saviour.  
  
Kate looked up in an instant and her gaze was met with a pair of piercing brown eyes. The man that caught her was middle aged, with a full brown beard that was a mess of braids, scraps of fabric, and beads. A tricorn hat adorned his unruly, windswept hair. But his most identifying feature was an ugly scar on his cheek, perfectly vertical, that stretched down from his cheekbone to his chin. Kate had seen that face before, in copied engravings at the New York City townhall. They warned of a dangerous man. They warned of a ruthless killer. They warned of pirate captain Allan Pinkerton.  
  
Upon her recognition, Kate swiftly pulled out of his embrace and jumped back, allowing her fear to show on her face for the first time. Pinkerton, for his part, laughed heartily, and was joined by his crew.  
  
"You dinnae need to be afeared lass, you're worth much more to us alive and unharmed than you are dead," Pinkerton said in a heavy Scottish accent, tears of mirth shining in his eyes.  
  
Kate stood upright, brushing off her outer petticoats, and looking Pinkerton in the eye.  
  
"How much am I worth to you?" Kate asked, forcing her voice to remain level.  
  
"£2,500 sterling, lass."  
  
Kate gasped. "Surely not!"  
  
"Aye, and I'm positive your family will pay," Allan said, eyeing her up.  
  
"You don't seriously think they have that kind of money on hand! It will take months to get that amount together in bills, at least until after the harvest," Kate said, feeling for the first time that she might have the upper hand.  
  
"What?"  
  
A voice behind Pinkerton sounded and a man about her age stepped forward. He was tall, with dirty blonde hair and eyes bluer than the sea she had just sailed on. He had a beard, but his was rather neatly trimmed. He was handsome, strikingly so, with high cheekbones and perfectly plump lips. In another situation, Kate might have been charmed by his good looks, but the annoyance in his eyes and the tone of his voice made him seem more like a petulant child than a grown man.  
  
"We may be rich, but no one has that much money at the ready. That's more than most would see in a lifetime!" Kate said, failing to stop a grin from stretching across her face.  
  
"I knew we shouldn't have risked taking her! Now we're stuck with her for who knows how long!" The man said as if she wasn't even there.  
  
"I'm sorry my presence is such as inconvenience to you, but you'll remember that I didn't ask to be kidnapped!" Kate said, directing her ire at the young man. He glared at her as the crew members began to murmur amongst themselves.  
  
"Alright now, calm down everyone!" Pinkerton yelled above the crowd. They quickly fell silent.  
  
"I will admit that this was not as well thought out as it should have been; however, the money we make out of this will far surpass any trouble that she causes while she is here. For now, Miss Warne will be treated as a guest."  
  
Kate's eyes widened, the gravity of the situation sinking in. She would be stuck aboard The Carfrae for at least six months, maybe more. She gulped, looking around at the pirates who surrounded her, her housemates for who knows how long. Not many looked very happy at the prospect of living with her, and she agreed with their sentiment.  
  
"Now, Miss Warne, my son William will be in charge of your well being while you're aboard my ship. Dinnae fash, he willnae try anything untoward if he values both of his ears," Pinkerton said, gesturing to the blonde-haired man that Kate had just finished admonishing.  
  
The man, William, stood there with his mouth open, looking between her and his father. "Father," he said, "you can't be serious."  
  
"I am, son. Deadly. Now, you will escort her to the women's dormitory and make sure she is settled," Pinkerton said, and with a wave of his hand, he walked off. The crew, taking this as an order to get back to work, all returned to their jobs as they prepared the ship to sail.  
  
Kate looked back at Will, who looked sufficiently annoyed. "Come on," he grumbled and began to walk in the direction of the door that led to the lower decks. Kate gathered her skirts and took off jogging after him.  
  


* * *

  
  
"And this is where you'll be staying," Will said, not without a bit of sarcasm, as he opened the door to her room and stood aside.  
  
The room was small, located near to the captain's quarters, with a window and a simple wooden bed. At the foot of the bed was a chest and a table with a wooden stool leaned against the wall next to the door. It was... quaint. Smaller than any place Kate had stayed in before, but she was glad to have her own bed. She was worried she would have to stay in one of the hammocks that hung precariously from the ceiling in the women's quarters.  
  
"I'll be down to collect you at supper time," Will said, bowing low and dramatically in mock deference. Kate glared at him as he stood straight and strolled out of the door, letting it shut soundly behind him.  
  
Kate took a deep breath in and let it out into the almost empty room. She took a few steps forward and turned around, sitting down on the bed. It wasn't soft, but she didn't expect it to be. She looked around her room, if she could even call it hers. It looked like it had belonged to a cabin boy, given its size and proximity to the captain's quarters. Whoever stayed there seemed to be long gone, a layer of dust settled over the furniture.  
  
The ship rocked slowly back and forth, and Kate felt lucky that she wasn't predisposed to sea sickness. She sighed. It was going to be a long six months.  
  
The door creaked open and Kate jumped in her seat. She expected to see a person, an angry pirate perhaps, but instead a grey cat slinked into the room, walking quietly over to her and settling at her feet.  
  
Kate smiled at it, reaching down to carefully lift it into her lap. She stroked its soft fur and it purred lightly. 

"You and me, hm, how did we get here?" Kate said quietly. The cat, of course, said nothing, just continued to purr contentedly in her lap.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh baby heres another one. I definitely have a good idea of where this is going and I think you're going to like it. I've never really done slow burn before so I hope it turns out alright. Let me know what you think! 
> 
> Best,  
> Em

Kate didn't know how long she sat there stroking the grey cat. She figured it must have been only an hour or two. Surely the cat would've been bored of her any longer than that. Or maybe it just sensed that she really needed something that reminded her of home. Either way, she was certainly startled when the door to her small room opened, William Pinkerton standing tall in the doorway.   
  
The grey cat, equally startled by the noise, jumped up and ran out between William's legs.   
  
"Shit!" William exclaimed, jumping slightly out of the cat's way.   
  
Kate smiled. "Afraid of a little cat, are we?"   
  
William glared at her. "Not afraid, just don't like the thing."   
  
"What do you want?" Kate asked.   
  
"It's supper time," William said simply. Kate sighed and rose to her feet as William turned and walked out the door.   
  
They walked down the long hallway that they had come down before, lined with doors on either side. One door, two doors down from her own, was rather ornate, with a stained glass window set into the rough wood. Below it was a piece of paper held up by a small iron tack. Kate stopped to read it. William, noticing the absence of footsteps behind him, stopped too.   
  
"What are you doing?" William asked, turning around to face her.   
  
"What is this?" Kate asked.   
  
"The Articles."   
  
"And they are...?"   
  
William sighed irritably. "The rules for the crew. Everyone has to sign it when they join."   
  
Kate looked at the document closely, noticing the numbered list. The first few rules set out how much each member of the crew would be paid, how they would elect a new captain, and how much compensation a crewmate would be paid for each limb they lost. Kate grimaced at that, hoping that she would never have to find out if that rule applied to her.   
  
Further down the list were rules of conduct. Rule number eight dictated that the crew must be in bed, lights out by 9 o'clock. Rule number eleven dictated a punishment for excessive drunkeness. However, it was rule number 13, the final rule, that gave her the most pause:   
  
**If at any time you meet with a prudent Woman, that Man that offers to meddle with her, without her Consent, shall suffer present Death.**   
  
Everything Kate had ever heard about pirates seemed to contradict that rule, and yet there it was in plain English. Kate looked back over to William, who looked at her, annoyed.   
  
"And these rules, they are hardfast?"   
  
"Yes. Like I said, everyone agrees to them. If they don't, they're punished. Can we go, or are you gonna keep asking questions?" William said. Kate stood upright, dusting her skirt off.   
  
"Lead away," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. William gave her a little sneer and continued walking.   
  
After a few minutes they reached a room Kate could only describe as a mess hall. There were tables of all shapes and sizes scattered about lined with equally mismatched chairs. The crew was just as eclectic, members scattered about the hall, eating, talking, and laughing rauchously. It was a far cry from the stuffy dinners her parents had forced her to attend.   
  
"Where should I...?" Kate asked, voice trailing off, slightly overwhelmed by the scene in front of her.   
  
"You'll be sitting with us," William said, although he did not seem too happy about it. What had she done, Kate wondered, to offend him so?   
  
She did not get the chance to answer as William placed a hand on her back, pushing her towards a circular table in the far corner of the room. There sat Allan Pinkerton and a few others whose names she did not yet know. They stopped their meal as she approached.   
  
"Miss Warne, how good of you to join us," Pinkerton said, gesturing for her to sit.

She wanted to tell him that she did not have much choice in the matter, but she bit her tongue and sat in one of the available seats. As soon as she sat, a bowl of some sort of soup and a piece of flaky bread were put in front of her by a young Asian woman. Kate turned to thank her, but the woman was already gone, off to see that others got their share of supper.   
  
"That's Miyo, one of our cooks," Pinkerton said, nodding in the direction of the woman.   
  
Kate bit her lip and looked down at her meal, not feeling very hungry at all. The soup was a brownish colour and hunks of mystery meat floated in its depths. Kate picked up her spoon and stirred it, picking up sediment and spice that had laid dormant on the bottom of her bowl.   
  
"It ain't half as bad as it looks," said the person next to her, a pretty brunette woman of about her age.   
  
"What is it?" Kate asked, scooping up a piece of meat on her spoon.   
  
"Turtle soup."   
  
Kate's spoon dropped into the bowl with a splash and the woman laughed.   
  
"Don't you worry, it's mostly broth and sherry. Try some, I promise it's fine," the woman urged. Kate picked her spoon back up, lading out a little bit of the broth, and sipped from it cautiously. To her surprise, the woman was right. It was not as bad as it looked. Kate took another spoonful, her hunger suddenly returning to her with force.   
  
"Told you," the woman said lightly, and Kate smiled a little in spite of herself.   
  
"Thank you," Kate said gratefully.   
  
"No problem. I'm Annalee."   
  
"Kate," she replied.   
  
"I know. Everyone knows you. You're our ticket to unimaginable fortune," Annalee said, a teasing lilt to her voice.   
  
"Is that what I am?" Kate asked.   
  
"Mhm. We're mighty grateful to have you here," Annalee said, as if she was an invited guest rather than a kidnapping victim.   
  
Kate scoffed, looking over at William, who was deep in conversation with a blonde haired man to his right. "Not everyone seems to share your sentiments."   
  
"Oh, don't mind Will. He just ain't used to change, and he doesn't like rich folk too much neither," Annalee said, placing a hand on Kate's arm. Kate, despite everything, was grateful for a friendly touch.   
  
"I see."   
  
"He'll come around, you'll see."   
  
"Who's that man to his right?" Kate asked, taking another spoonful of soup.   
  
"That's Will's twin brother, Robert. He's master gunner; he's in charge of the cannons and the guns and such."   
  
"Right. And the others?" Kate asked.   
  
"Well, that there-" she pointed to a black man to Will's left- "is John Bell. He's the ship's carpenter."   
  
John, noticing their attentions, smiled at them, tipping his hat cordially. He had kind brown eyes and Kate could not help but feel at ease in his gaze.   
  
"And then there's Kenji, the sailing master. He hasn't steered us wrong yet," Annalee said. The man in question was handsome, with straight black hair and a whispy mustache.   
  
"Next to him, that's Abigail. She's our surgeon and damn good, too. Though she'll never admit it, shy as the day is long that one. Then there's Bangs. He's the quartermaster."   
  
"What does that entail?" Kate asked.   
  
"He's in charge of the day to day activities of the crew, making sure we're all doing what we should be, making sure we get our share of food and earnings and such."   
  
He did not look particularly friendly, Bangs, but then again, not many on the ship did. Kate turned back to Annalee.   
  
"And you?"   
  
"Well, I'm the bos'n. That means I'm in charge of making sure the ship is fit to sail," Annalee said proudly.   
  
"That's... a lot to remember," Kate said, and Annalee laughed.   
  
"You'll get the hang of it in no time. Everyone's got a job, that's how this ship runs. Tomorrow, I'll take you around and show you the ship, you can see for yourself," Annalee said, lifting her bowl and drinking the dregs of her soup.   
  
Kate nodded quietly. She took another spoonful of her soup, finding it cold. She pushed it away and looked out across the table. Will was now chatting with Abigail, flirting shamelessly while she blushed and lightly slapped his arm.   
  
"And Will," Kate asked, not looking away from him, "what does he do?"   
  
"He's first mate under Bangs. One day, when Bangs wants to call it quits, the crew will probably elect Will to replace him," Annalee said.   
  
"Really? _Him_?"   
  
"I know, he's not there yet. That's why he's first mate. He's still learning."   
  
"Right," Kate said.   
  
"You should really eat. It'll be a while before you get the chance again. We usually break fast at around nine, but we rise with the sun," Annalee said. She had a point, and Kate nodded, taking another spoonful of cold soup.   
  
"You know, it's faster just drinking straight from the bowl," Annalee pointed out.   
  
"It's not exactly ladylike."   
  
"Look at where you are. Do you think that much matters here?" Annalee said.   
  
Kate sighed. She had a point. She was no longer in New York, dining with the height of New York society; she was on the Carfrae, dining with pirates. She might as well begin to act like it. She lifted the bowl and drank from it, sucking up the dregs of her soup.   
  
"Atta girl," Annalee said.   
  
Kate placed the bowl back down and picked up her bread. She turned it over in her hands, looking closely at it, the beginnings of an idea forming in her head. If the ship was going where she thought it was, they'd be in the Caribbean in a weeks time. If she could find some time, a moment, to steal away in one of the rowboats, she could be free. All she needed was water and a bit of food for the journey.   
  
Kate looked around the table, making sure that everyone was occupied. She out took her handkerchief and carefully wrapped the bread, slipping the small package into her pocket, a smile, hopeful smile on her face. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late, its been a crazy week. I liked writing this one, but next one is gonna be way more exciting. Anyways, love yall, see yall soon x

Kate awoke to pounding at her door. 

Her eyes snapped open and she groaned. Her neck was stiff and her back hurt like hell. She looked up at the ceiling, finding rough wood instead of painted plaster of Paris. Her fingers ran over the blanket that covered her, finding it coarse and riddled with small holes. There was light shining in from the window and it warmed her cheek. 

The pounding began again. 

Kate stumbled out of bed, throwing the sheets off of her and opening the door wide. 

On the other side stood Will Pinkerton, who, upon looking at her, covered his eyes with a hand. 

"Jesus, Kate!" Will exclaimed, whispers of a blush high on his cheeks.  
Kate looked down in confusion and realised that she was standing there in only her shift. She blushed furiously and slammed the door, immediately pressing her back up against it. 

"What are you doing here?!" Kate yelled. 

"I was coming to bring you to Annalee before you decided to flash me!" Will responded. 

"I didn't flash you, I was fully clothed!" Kate said. She was, technically, although her shift did not leave too much to the imagination. She just hoped he hadn't seen too much of her in the brief moment his eyes were open. 

"Look, just... just get dressed quickly," Will said, "I'll be back in ten minutes." 

She heard footsteps outside the door as Will walked away and she sighed in relief. She stood upright and walked over to the window above her bed, peering out over the waves. 

It was sunny. The light caught on the deep blue waves and shone like diamonds. The foam and the spray and the swells did not seem to belong to the same ocean that she had visited a million times before. It was new and beautiful and exciting. If she wasn't in the situation she was in now, she might have enjoyed being on the high seas. 

But she couldn't. Couldn't let her guard down, not here. She was in a snake pit, in a den with lions. She would not let them catch her unawares. 

Kate moved to the foot of her bed and opened the chest, carefully removing her garments. She put on her petticoat, trying the strings securely around her waist, and then sat on the bed to slip on her stockings, tying the garter ribbons below her knees and folding her stockings over them. She then slipped her low heeled shoes on over stockinged feet. The corset was next, and she laced it tightly, knowing she would need the support if she was going to be moving around the ship all day. The outer petticoats were the last, and as she slipped her arms into her sleeves she heard Will knocking on her door again. 

Kate walked over to the door and opened it to find William Pinkerton standing there with his hand over his eyes. 

"You decent?" Will asked, and she rolled her eyes. 

"Yes, obviously." 

"Good. Hurry up then," Will said, as he took off down the hallway. Kate groaned and followed behind him. 

"You know," she said, struggling to keep up, "this isn't a race!" 

"If it isn't a race then why am I winning?" Will said, a cheeky smile gracing his features. 

"It's not exactly a fair game. You aren't wearing heels," she huffed, as Will stopped abruptly in front of one of the doors along the hallway. 

"I win," he said. She sneered at him. 

Will opened the door and Kate stepped inside, finding it quite large and full of hammocks swinging from the rafters. Some were occupied with female members of the crew, others were empty. Women muddled about the room, dressing and chatting. As Kate took in the scene, she heard her name from across the room. 

"Kate! Over here!" Annalee yelled across the room, causing all the women to stop what they were doing and look at her. She bit her lip and walked over to Annalee, avoiding their gazes. After a moment though, the women resumed their normal activities. 

Annalee looked, well, rather masculine. She wore an overcoat over a loose linen shirt which she tucked into trousers. Her boots were low-heeled and scuffed, and she wore a bandolier from which a pistol and a waterskin hung. Kate's surprise at her appearance must have shown on her face, as Annalee laughed heartily. 

"You've probably never seen a woman in breeches, have you?" Annalee said, smiling widely. 

"No, I can't say I have," Kate admitted. 

"Well, they're better suited to shipwork. Speaking of, let's get started," Annalee said, dusting off her trousers and striding towards the door leaving Kate to follow behind her. That was certainly getting old quickly. 

By the time they made it to the threshold, Will had gone. Still, Kate looked both ways in the hallway, quietly searching for him in spite of herself. 

"He's gone off to find Bangs, likely," Annalee said, an amused smile gracing her lips. 

"I thought he was supposed to 'mind me,'" Kate said, voice dripping with sarcasm. 

"Well, I suppose he figures it's my turn to take a shift. Come on, I'll take you on a tour," Annalee said, taking Kate's arm in hers and leading her down the hall. 

After a thorough tour of the galley, the mess, and the dormitories, the two women made their way down into the hold. The wood was damper down in the depths of the ship, and she could hear how it creaked around them as the shift was rocked by the waves. Inside the hold were barrels and crates all stacked up and tied down to prevent them from moving. On the far side of the room were three large casks each with a spigot and cork stopper attached. 

"That there is the ship's water supply. We try and conserve it as much as possible, so we usually drink ale. You'll get used to the taste," Annalee said, nudging Kate's shoulder. 

"I see." 

"Part of my job is coming down here and checking for leaks and such, making sure everything is ship-shape," Annalee said as she and Kate weaved their way through the cargo. 

"And what if you do find one?" Kate asked. 

"Then I go to John Bell. As master carpenter, it's his job to fix anything on the ship that needs tending to." 

"And do you see anything that needs tending to?" Kate asked nervously. She didn't like the idea of water filling the boat, plunging them into the cold depths of the sea. 

"No, not a one. Don't worry, even when we do have a leak, it's always fixed up nice and quick. That's why my job exists, to catch these things early," Annalee said, smiling. She took hold of Kate's arm again and lead her to the ladder from which they had entered. 

"Now what?" Kate asked.  
"Now, we break fast. I, for one, am ravenous." 

Kate's stomach growled. "As am I, it seems." 

×/× 

The two women entered the mess hall, finding it less crowded as it had been the night before. The pirates who were there were spread out throughout the room, eating in groups of two or three. It seemed like they were dining on bannocks and cheese with strong-looking black tea to drink. Kate's stomach rumbled again, despite the fact that the food was not nearly as good as the breakfasts she had been served at home. 

The two women made their way to the corner table, which was already occupied by one John Bell, who, judging by the amount of food on his plate, had just sat down himself. 

"Hello, ladies," John said warmly as they took their seats. 

"Good morning, John," Annalee said, smiling widely at him. John turned to Kate. 

"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm John Bell," he said, offering his hand. Kate placed her hand in his and he kissed the back of it lightly, his lips slightly chapped. 

"Kate Warne. Pleased to meet you," Kate replied as their food was delivered to them by a pretty young black woman with curly hair pulled back into a bun. 

"That's Celia. She also works in the kitchen," Annalee said. 

Kate nodded her thanks to the women, who smiled kindly at her and walked away, leaving Kate with her food. 

The bannocks, fried in oil, smelled delicious and Kate immediately reached for a fork out of habit, finding nothing but empty table. She frowned. 

"Just use your hands. It isn't exactly polite, but it gets the job done," John said, noticing her expression. She gave a quick nod and picked up the fry-bread, taking a small bite. She almost groaned. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until then, and she ate the bread with renewed vigour, only stopping to sip her strong tea and nibble at the cheese. 

"So, Miss Warne, have you always lived in New York?" John asked, setting down his cup. 

"Yes, I have. My grandparents bought our farm when my father was very young. I've lived there my whole life," Kate said. 

"I see. And have you ever been in a ship before?" 

"Nothing of this size, just small rowboats. I had a suitor once who took me out on a lake," Kate said, and then cursed herself for saying it. 

"A suitor, huh?" Annalee asked, "Got many of those?" 

"A- a few." 

"Well, I'm not surprised. You're quite the catch," Annalee said, nudging her goodnaturedly. 

"Thank you. It is mostly my family's money that attracts them. It is what attracted your captain, surely," Kate said, a hint of bitterness in her voice. 

John Bell just nodded quietly, taking a bite of bread and cheese. 

"What about you, Mr. Bell? Where are you from?" Kate asked, not wanting to talk about herself any further. 

"Boston. I was an orphan." 

"Oh, I'm sorry." 

"Don't be. Whatever happened in the past, it led be here, so it couldn't have been so bad," John said, smiling good-naturedly at her. 

"That is a lovely way of looking at it," Kate said, "The same can be said for me, I suppose." 

"I know it must be difficult being her, but it won't be long before you're back with your folks. And besides, you might come to like it," John said. 

"I will take your word for it," Kate said, focusing her attention back on her meal. She had one bannock left, and she knew she needed to save it, to put it with the other bread she had stashed in her trunk. 

She carefully and quickly picked up the bannock and stuffed it in her pocket. Annalee, having noticed her movement, spoke up. 

"Whatcha doing with that?" 

Kate froze for a moment, not expecting to be caught. 

"Oh, I'm just... just saving it for later. In case I get hungry," Kate said, hoping that she sounded convincing. To her relief, Annalee nodded in understanding. 

"Smart girl. We've got a long day ahead of us, better to be prepared." 

With a lasp gulp of tea and a goodbye to John, the two women made their way out of the mess and onto the main deck, finding many pirates out and about, pulling ropes or mopping or fixing cannons. 

Kate looked up to the quarterdeck, finding the rather imposing figure of Alan Pinkerton looking out to the sea through a brass spyglass. After a moment, he lowered it and looked down at her. 

"Ah, Miss Warne, how are you feeling this morning?" Pinkerton asked, sounding almost friendly. 

"Well, thank you," Kate replied politely, raising her hand above her eyes to block the sun. 

"I see my son has abandoned you." 

"Annalee offered to show me around the ship today," Kate said, and immediately wondered why she was defending him. 

"That's right, Cap'n! I figured Kate should know her way around if she's gonna be staying here awhile," Annalee said. 

"As long as it doesnae interfere with your work," Alan said, nodding at Annalee. 

"You know it won't. Nothing to report today anyways," Annalee said. 

"Good. Ah, there's my wayward son, now," Alan said. Kate turned to see Will jogging across the deck towards them. 

"William, did I not ask you to keep an eye on Miss Warne?" Alan asked, looking down on his son. 

"You did, but-" 

"Then that's what you should be doing, not foisting your responsibilities off on Annalee," Alan said, crossing his arms in front of her. 

"I wasn't!" 

"It's really not a problem, Alan. I like having her along," Annalee said, taking Kate's arm in hers. 

Alan looked between the three of them for a moment and then sighed. "Fine. Annalee, you can take Kate into your care during the day, but my son will still escort her to meals and back to her room. I dinnae want her to get lost on the way." 

Kate opened her mouth to protest. She did not need help getting to and from her cabin, but then she looked up at Pinkerton and she understood. They were not worried about her getting lost, they were worried about her escaping. Kate bit her lip and looked away, heart clenching in fear. Her plan, if she was going to pull it off, would have to be done carefully, under the cover of night. 

She placed her hand in her pocket, running her fingers over the fry-bread from that morning. Despite the fear, she could feel her resolve to escape hardening and she set her jaw, removing her hand from her pocket and following Annalee back across the deck.


End file.
